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Carl Sagan
Authored Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence |hosts= |awards= }} Carl Sagan (1934 – 1996) was Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at . Sagan played a leading role in the Mariner, Viking, and Voyager spacecraft expeditions to the planets, for which he received the .Amazon's biography, Carl Sagan Pioneer plaques had lectured about hypothetical communication with extraterrestrial intelligences at a conference in . approached Sagan with the idea that should carry a message from mankind. Burgess first mentioned the idea when he visited the in , during the mission. Sagan was enthusiastic about the idea of sending a message with the Pioneer spacecraft. NASA agreed to the plan and gave him three weeks to prepare a message. Together with he designed the plaque, and the artwork was prepared by Sagan's then wife . Two s were manufactured at Precision Engravers in . The first plaque was launched with on March 2, 1972, and the second followed with Pioneer 11 on April 5, 1973. Sagan's paradox In 1966 Sagan was a member of the Ad Hoc Committee to review , the U.S. Air Force's UFO investigation project. The committee concluded that Blue Book had been lacking as a scientific study. The final report, led by physicist , concluded that UFOs, regardless of what any of them actually were, did not behave in a manner consistent with a threat to national security. Regarding UFOs and the abduction experience, Sagan rejected an extraterrestrial explanation for the phenomenon but felt "there were both empirical and pedagogical benefits for examining UFO reports and that the subject was, therefore, a legitimate topic of study."Appelle, Stuart (2000). "Ufology and Academia: The UFO Phenomenon as a Scholarly Discipline". In Jacobs, David M. UFOs and Abductions: Challenging the Borders of Knowledge. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. pp. 7–30. ISBN 0-7006-1032-4. LCCN 00028970. OCLC 43615835. Sagan then helped to establish a new school of thought, the belief that extraterrestrial life exists but has nothing to do with UFOs. This came to be known as "Sagan's paradox". It allowed scientists opportunities to search the universe for intelligent life unencumbered by the stigma associated with UFOs.David Jacobs "The UFO Controversy In America" (1987), p.122-124 Contact Carl Sagan wrote the science fiction novel in 1985. It deals with the theme of contact between humanity and a more technologically advanced, extraterrestrial life form. The book was , directed by . Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film. Martian marker Sagan's son, , wrote several episodes in the Star Trek franchise. In an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise entitled " ", a quick shot is shown of the relic rover , part of the mission, placed by a historical marker at Carl Sagan Memorial Station on the Martian surface. The marker displays a quote from Sagan: "Whatever the reason you're on Mars, I'm glad you're there, and I wish I was with you." Books * Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (March 15, 1975), by Carl Sagan * Books by Carl Sagan References Category:Researchers